Rush Claims Underrated Award

NORMAN, Okla. -- Considering the type of honor, it makes sense that the announcement slipped under the radar until the summer months.

Oklahoma junior forward Leah Rush was named the nation's Most Underrated Player by the Women's Basketball News Service. The honor follows a season when she averaged 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while garnering All-Big 12 second team honors.

Freshman Courtney Paris also picked up a pair of awards from the WBNS. She was named a WBNS First Team All-American and the National Freshman of the Year. The dominant center was a consensus All-American, becoming the first freshman since 1992 to claim first team honors from every outlet. She was also named National Freshman of the Year by the United State Basketball Writers Association.

Paris posted arguably the best freshman season in NCAA history. She averaged 21.9 points and 15 rebounds, while also becoming the first player in NCAA history to collect 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season.

Rush and Paris headline nine returnees, including the entire starting five, from the 2006 Big 12 Regular and Postseason Champions. The Sooners will be led by a senior class of six while five freshmen will add talented depth at every position.

Women's Basketball News Service Awards

Player of the Year: Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Paris, Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Sherrill Baker, Georgia
Most Improved Player of Year: Ambrosia Anderson, Brigham Young
Coach of the Year: Gary Blair, Texas A&M
Most Underrated Player: Leah Rush, Oklahoma
Biggest Loss of the Year: Retirement of Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech

All-America First team
Cappie Pondexter, 5-9 Senior G (Rutgers)
Siemone Augustus, 6-1 Senior G (LSU)
Monique Currie, 6-0 Senior G/F (Duke)
Sophia Young, 6-1 Senior F (Baylor)
Candice Wiggins, 5-11 Sophomore G (Stanford)
Courtney Paris, 6-4 Freshman Center (Oklahoma)
Tasha Humphrey, 6-2 Sophomore Center (Georgia)
Jessica Davenport, 6-5 Junior Center (Ohio State)
Ivory Latta, 5-6 Junior G (North Carolina)
Candace Parker, 6-3 Freshman F (Tennessee)

Second team
Candice Dupree, 6-2 Senior C (Temple)
Sylvia Fowles, 6-6 Sophomore C (LSU)
Khara Smith, 6-2 Senior C (DePaul)
Tara Boothe, 6-1 Senior F (Xavier)
Tamara James, 5-9 Senior F (Miami)
Kim Smith, 6-1 Senior F (Utah)
Noelle Quinn, 6-0 Junior G (UCLA)
Liz Shimek, 6-1 Senior F (Michigan State)
Megan Duffy, 5-8 Senior G (Notre Dame)
Crystal Kelly, 6-3 Sophomore F (Western Kentucky)

Third team
Ann Strother, 6-3 Senior G/F (Connecticut)
Sherill Baker, 5-8 Senior G (Georgia)
Ambrosia Andersen, 6-1 Senior FG (BYU)
Lyndsey Medders, 5-8 Junior G (Iowa State)
Shona Thorburn, 5-10 Senior G (Utah)
Lisa Willis, 5-11 Senior G (UCLA)
LaToya Davis, 6-1 Senior F (Texas Tech)
Lindsay Shearer, 6-1 Senior F (Kent State)
Melanie Boeglin, 5-6 Senior G (Indiana State)
Kimberly Beck, 5-8 Sophomore G (George Washington)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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